Tool for fabricating attachment clips



l. L. MARRA Nov. 14, 1967 TOOL FOR FABRICATING ATTACHMENT CLIPS Filed April 25, 1964 INVENTOR.

JWM/L. (UQ/exa.

BY x/ I I his United States Patent O 3,352,142 TOOL FOR FABRICATING ATTACHMENT CLIPS Ivan L. Marra, Butler, Pa., assiguor to Fre-Mar Industries, Butler, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Filed Apr. 23, 1964, Ser. No. 362,151 1 Claim. (Cl. 72-387) This invention relates to a stool and a process for constructing attachment clips which support chrome decoration strips on vehicles or the like.

In performing repairs work on automobiles on which chrome strips have to be removed and replaced, the mechanic or garageman is faced with the requirement for maintaining a substantial inventory of attachment clips to accommodate for the different dimensions, models and locations for such chromium strips. Along the length of the chrome strip, the width varies and therefore requires an attachment clip which also varies to correspond in size with the chrome strip at that point. There are at least two or more mounting clips which are used to secure a chrome strips to the sides of the automobile and these are spaced at intervals along the length of the strip and must therefore be of variable size. Since each clip must be a special size depending upon its location in a given chrome piece, and since there are so many different models of cars and model years, the requirement of providing special size clips is a burdensome inventory problem.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a tool and a process for fabricating from standard stock material, attachment clips which can be readily made of a suitable size and takes into account the variation in width requirements for the attachment clip along the length of the chrome strip from one model car to the next. As a result, it is only necessary to provide sheet metal stock and a tool in accordance with the present invention, in order to fabricate specific clip members for mounting chrome strips of the various sizes, shapes,vloca tions and model years.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a new and improved tool for fabricating clips for mounting chromium strips, said clips being adapted for firmly and reliably securing the chrome strip against removal from the sides of the automobile or other vehicle.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide a tool which can readily construct an attachment clip from a stock material, and effect a precise, suitable configuration which obviates any requirement for maintaining extensive inventories in order to ensure the availability of a particular size attachment clip. Consequently, the present invention attains a considerable economy and eliminates necessity for inventory stock.

It is an important feature of the present invention that the tool for constructing the chrome mounting clips can be provided in many different embodiments, and can take different forms, shapes and sizes, but each is intended to perform the various functions of fabricating from sheet metal stock, clips of various sizes which are adapted for securing to a vehicle a non-standard chrome strip at vaiious points along its length.

Other objects and features of the present invention will become apparent from a consideration of the following description which proceeds with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevation view of a fragmentary section of chrome strip with its undersurface secured by attachment clips to the side of a vehicle;

FIGURE 2 is a section view taken on line 2-2 of FIG- URE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a top view of a tool which can perform the various functions of fabricating the attachment clip;

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FIGURE 4 is a side elevation view of the tool illustrated in FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 5 illustrates the tool in an open position and with a piece of stock at the initial stage of fabrication on which first the one edge is bent and then the opposite edge;

FIGURES 6A, 6B and 6C illustrates in cross section the progressive configurations produced in fabricating the clip all of which are effected by the tool shown in FIGURES 3, 4, 5; and,

FIGURE 7 illustrates a further embodiment of the tool for constructing a clip.

Referring now to the drawings, a chrome strip designated generally by reference numeral 10 is supported by a number of clips, two of which are shown in FIGURE 1 and designated by reference numerals 12 and 14, said clips being in turn secured to the body 13 by means of the clips 12, 14 each having a fastener 16.

The chrome strip must be supported at various points along its length to provide both support nad anchorage points between the support surface body 13 of the vehicle and the chrome strip 10. The chrome strip is curved inwardly at its edges 16, 18, and these surfaces extend over complementary inwardly bent edges 20, 22 of the fastener clip 12.

The clip 12 has a central opening 24 which is constructed within a recess portion 26 and a head 28 of fastener 30 fits within the recess 26. The stem 32 of fastener extends through a cooperative opening 34 in surface 14 and the spring section 36 expands to hold the clip 12 in place.

The clip 12 is fabricated to a preferred dimension by initially starting with a piece of fiat metal stock 38 which is cut to dimensions from a roll or fiat strip of stock and the edge 40 is fitted within a slot 42 of tool piece 44 the other tool piece 46 being cooperative with said first tool piece 44. The two parts 44, 46 of the tool 48 are hinged together at 50 to provide for pivotal movement in which the one tool piece 46 closes over the other tool piece 44 and bends the workpiece from the dotted line position (FIGURE 4) to the full line position (FIGURE 4) and thereby crimping the inclined flange 20 along one edge of the stock. The fiange 20 is then withdrawn from slot 42 and the opposite edge inserted within slot 42 and the process is repeated to form the other inclined fiange 22 (FIGURE 6A). The central part of the clip is then recessed by placing such central portion over a socket 52 of the tool half 44, closing the other tool half 46 thereover to bring a forming punch 54 forcibly against the workpiece and producing a central depression therein.

Thereafter, the depressed portion is fitted into a seat carried on the tool half 44 and the tool half 46 is again turned counterclockwise (FIGURE 4) on pivot 50 bringing the punch 62 against the central part of the depression and cutting out an opening through which the fastener 30 is passed. The configuration of the workpiece thus changes from a fiat workpiece section, ultimately to the configuration shown in FIGURE 6C and the dimension indicated by the letter L (FIGURE 6C) is intended to fit closely to but be slightly smaller than the dimension L1 of a chrome strip (FIGURE 1) at the point of attachment (FIGURE 1). In this way, the dimension of the clip is proportioned precisely to the size and shape of the chrome strip at the point of attachment.

The fastener clip is secured to the side of the vehicle by pressing the stern 30 through the opening-24 and the expandible end 36 makes a blind connection with the side wall 14, end 36 being force-fitted through opening 30 and then expanding to firmly anchor the clip 12 to the side wall. Once the clip is located in place, the chrome piece is then attached by fitting the edges of the chrome piece around the outer edges of the fastener clip.

The mechanic, can use a standard piece of stock and readily adapt it for the varying configuration along the length of the chrome strip, by first cutting the workpiece or stock `38 to a preferred length and then when a bending of the edges is completed, the dimension L, FIGURE 6B, e

will correspond to the configuration L1 ofthe chrome strip at the point of mounting. In this way, only a single tool is required and standard work stock is usable for mounting the chrome. In this manner, the clips are made to size depending upon the conguration.

Referring now to the tool designated in FIGURE 7, there is provided two jaws 80, S2, respectively, having a projection 84 and a notch 86, the jaws being brought together by handles 8S, 90 to produce a crimping 92 in stock 94. The stock 94 has been cut to size by cutting, accomplished by cutter edges 96, 98 on the handles S8 and 9% respectively, the two handles being moved pivotally about pivot 10) to manipulate both the jaws 80, 82 and cutter edges 96, 98. The two jaws 80, 82 are adapted to form the ends of the stock 94, which is generally the rst steps in making the clips and then the crimpedends are bent over by using the at jaw section immediately adjacent notch 86 and projection 84. The stock could then be trimmed by means of the cutter edges 96 and 98.

Still referring to the embodiment of FIGURE 7, a recessed punch portion may be provided by punch sections 102, 104 which are located on the handles 88, 90.

Although the conguration of the tool in FIGURE 7 varies considerably from that in FIGURE 5, still the basic purpose of the tool is to produce .a clip having essentially the same configuration and purposes as the clip previously described.

Although the present invention has been illustrated and described in connection with certain example embodiments, it will be understood that these are illustrative of the invention and are by no means restrictive thereof. It is reasonably to be expected that those skilled in this art 4 can make numerous revisions and adaptations of the invention to suit individual design requirements, and it is intended that revisions and changes as incorporate the herein disclosed principles, will be included within the scope of the following yclaim as equivalents ofthe invention.

I claim:

A hand tool for forming sheet metal mounting clips for automobile body moldings, comprising in combination, a base memberhaving a bed portion, at one end thereof; a guide means located adjacent the sides of said bed portion; an elongated arm pivotally mounted by said means; the arm having a dat anvil face extending crosswise of its long axis at thereto, the arm alsohaving a slot extending inwardly of the lower edge of the anvil face; the arm being swingable, in an arc, relative to the bed between,` a rst open position, and a second position, inwhich second position the anvil face is spaced from the opposed bed by a distance equal to the thickness of the sheet metal strip used to form the clip; the anvil slot being adapted to receive the end of a sheet metal strip therein when the arm is in said second position; the arm acting to retain the so-engaged strip yend against the anvil face, when swung to its secondposition to bend the soengaged strip end to form a flange at an angle thereto, means defining a forming tool portion on said base member, and a complementary tool portion on said arm coacting with said means to effect a further forming operation on the strip when the strip is placed suitably in relation therewith.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,826,106 3/1958 Schegulla 7-5.2 X

WILLIAM FELDMAN, Primary Examiner.

R. V. PARKER, Assistant Examiner. 

